Women and Heart Rate

What’s a normal heart rate for a woman?

The average resting heart rate for adult women is 79 beats per minute (bpm), though the “normal” range is 60 to 100 bpm. Typically, females have a slightly higher (faster) heart rate than males. The average resting heart rate for adult men is 74 bpm.

Females have a faster resting heart rate than males because their hearts are smaller and have a lower cardiac output. Your cardiac output is the amount of blood your heart can pump out per minute.

During childhood, there’s not much of a difference in heart size between girls and boys. But around puberty, boys’ hearts grow a lot more quickly. By adulthood, a male heart weighs about 25% more than a female heart, on average. This means if you’re female, your heart has to pump faster to send enough blood out to your body.

What’s a dangerous heart rate for a woman?

No matter your sex, a heart rate consistently above 100 beats per minute when you’re not exercising may be a sign of a health problem. Healthcare providers call this fast heart rate tachycardia. It has many possible causes. Some are harmless, but others need treatment. You should see your healthcare provider right away if your heartbeat is this fast and you have symptoms like feeling dizzy or lightheaded. 

Also, for all adults, a heart rate below 60 beats per minute could be dangerous. But it depends. Athletes and people who are very active often have a heart rate in the 40s or 50s. And that’s normal for them. A low heart rate is concerning if it’s unusual for you. Or if you also feel dizzy, lightheaded or fatigued.

What affects a woman’s heart rate?

Many things can affect your heart rate — like hormones, physical activity, sleep, medicines, alcohol and caffeine. A few factors specific to females include periods, pregnancy and menopause.

Periods

Your hormones fluctuate throughout your menstrual cycle. In general, your heart rate increases slightly during ovulation and the week after. It decreases slightly during your period and the week after.

Pregnancy

Pregnant women have a higher average heart rate than women who aren’t pregnant. This is because when you’re pregnant, your heart must work harder to send enough blood to your uterus. Plus, hormonal changes during pregnancy, like an increase in thyroid hormones, may raise your heart rate.

During pregnancy, the amount of blood your heart pumps (cardiac output) goes up by 30% to 50%. Your heart must beat faster to keep up — typically up to about 90 beats per minute while you’re at rest. You can also expect your heart rate to increase more than usual when you’re exercising.

This rise in heart rate is normal. But the extra workload can lead to heart palpitations while pregnant.

Menopause

It’s common to experience heart palpitations as your body transitions to menopause. Hormonal changes are the reason why. You may start to notice palpitations early in perimenopause. They may continue throughout the stages of menopause and into early postmenopause.

Tell your provider if you feel like your heart is racing or out of sync. These feelings are often harmless. But your provider will make sure there’s nothing going on with your heart that needs treatment.

What heart rate conditions are more likely to affect women?

Some abnormal heart rates (types of arrhythmia) are more common in women, including:

• Atrial tachycardia: This is a type of fast heart rate that starts in your heart’s upper chambers.
• Atrioventricular nodal reentry tachycardia (AVNRT): This is when you have sudden episodes of a very fast heartbeat. It occurs when electrical signals follow an abnormal circular pathway in your heart. AVNRT affects twice as many females as males.
• Long Q-T syndrome (LQTS): This means your heart needs longer than usual to recharge between beats.
• Postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS): This condition causes symptoms like a fast heartbeat, dizziness and fainting when you stand up.